Little Monster
by TheFlameRose
Summary: Everything was supposed to be okay. Everything was supposed to be normal. But nothing ever turns out the way it's supposed to. "What did he do to her, Mom?" He asked as the dread curled deep in his gut. "He took her. He put her where we could never get her again." "You don't mean-" "Mason, he took her to the other side of the Wall."
1. Prologue- Beyond the Wall

Hello! How's it going everyone? Good? Good!

This here is my third story thus far. Attack on Titan drew me in recently, and this is the product! Wooo!

I hope you all enjoy.

ONTO THE STORY!

Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan. If I did, that would be pretty fricking awesome.

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><p><em>Everything was supposed to be <strong>normal<strong>._

It was supposed to be a nice, normal day. The birds sang sweet songs of springtime and flew through the skies, twittering back and forth to one another as they soared. Everyone got up for a normal morning in a normal home with a normal family. There was a normal mother, who was round with her third child, and a normal father. They had a normal son the young age of fifteen, and a normal daughter who had just turned eight a few months earlier.

_Everything was supposed to be **okay**._

But, as the silence stretched on infinitely between the once loving husband and wife, the harsh reality that everything was _not_ okay, that everything was no longer _normal_, weighed down on both of them and created the pregnant silence. The weight of this once normal, wonderful man's confession was almost too much for her to bear.

"You did what?" She breathed, a look of horror shining in her pale blue eyes. Her petite frame began to shake as his words started to sink in. The much larger man stood tall in front of her, his gaze turned towards the window as he clenched his jaw.

"You know you heard me, Lucina," he growled, crossing his arms in front of his chest as he struggled to hold in his temper. His voice was hostile, the words it formed laced with malice she had never heard be uttered from his mouth before.

Lucina staggered back away from the monster of a man, her hand grasping behind her for the counter so that she could hold herself up. Denial was the first thing to race through her thoughts as her legs wobbled increasingly, unable to keep her upright for much longer. Her eyes darted around the dusty kitchen, her mind full out rejecting what her husband had just told her. It was too crazy. It wasn't logical. There was no way.

Her frantic gaze finally settled on the half-eaten bowl of cereal on the small kitchen table, a near-empty cup of water resting serenely next to it. Small, smudged fingerprints adorned to outside of the glass. A little children's spoon was sitting patiently in the brown bowl of milk and grain bits, waiting in vain for the child who began the meal to finish it. Lucina gripped her dress collar and turned to her husband, a fire lighting in her eyes as anger sparked through her like lightening.

"How could you?" The distraught woman whispered quietly. She shook her head as she stared down the harsh, unrelenting face of her spouse. The absence of emotion was enough to send her over the edge.

"How could you do that, Jonah?!" She suddenly erupted, her pale eyes darkening as she screamed at the emotionless man. Unable to hold herself back, she shoved away from the counter and stomped forward, getting right in the man's face.

"How could you do that to our little girl?! Our beautiful baby girl!" She shrieked, tears falling from her wide eyes now as a deep sadness seeped into her veins. His lack of response so far was what made this whole situation feel like it was a dream. But it wasn't a dream.

It was a nightmare.

Jonah met her burning gaze evenly, not a hint of guilt or remorse on his bearded face. This only seemed to cause the poor woman even more distress than she was already in.

"It had to be done, Lucina. You saw what she was," he said lowly, his face betraying only a small amount of anger that he felt deep inside, coming straight from his cold heart.

The small woman froze in her actions, her eyes widening even further as it finally dawned on her. His shoulders relaxed slightly when she did this. He thought she finally understood why he had done what he had done. His wife knew why he had to get rid of their daughter. She knew it was necessary.

"Jonah," she murmured almost intelligibly, and his shoulders were tense once again.

"She didn't know what was happening any more than you or I did!" She said with more power back in her voice, her tears put on hold to make way for the anger that bubbled up within her. "How could you possibly blame her for that?!"

He was silent for a moment as he just stood there and stared at his fuming wife, her short, panting breaths the only sound in the entire house. Slowly, his once stone-cold expression melted away, only to be replaced by a hideous scowl as he began openly glaring at the pale woman, his upper lip curling into a cruel snarl.

"She was a _monster_, Lucina! _A monster_! There is _nothing_ beautiful about creatures like her!" He roared back, his eyes wild with unadulterated fury and a touch of insanity. Lucina stumbled back at the ferocity of her once kind and gentle husband, her hands wrapping protectively around her swollen belly.

"How can you say things like that about your own daughter?" She sobbed, tears cascading down her cheeks like rain. Her stomach heaved suddenly, and the overwhelming urge to vomit rose within her.

"As far as I am concerned, I have no daughter," he said quietly, his face turning to stone once more as he walked out the door.

Lucina stood there a few moments in shock, her mouth opening and closing as all her anguish filled words died on her tongue. Her baby. Her beautiful baby girl. She was gone. She couldn't get her back. And her very own husband was the cause.

Her stomach gave another heave and soon she was throwing up in the water bucket. Tears mingled with the vile smelling substance as she coughed and cried, her Morning Sickness rearing up at the least appropriate time. This pregnancy had been her most nauseating by far.

After emptying her entire stomach of its contents, Lucina collapsed on the floor, sobs wracking her body as she curled in on herself as much as her swollen belly would allow. She let all her emotions have free reign over her mind as she was too tired to fight them any longer. She coughed and spluttered and blubbered and let it all out. Her baby. Her darling little girl. He took her baby where she would never be able to reach her.

"Jonah...How could you?"

Her face twisted into a grimace as the little one inside her gave a kick. They were a rambunctious little thing, she would give them that. Lucina ran a hand soothingly over her swollen belly, the tears never ceasing even as she comforted the growing child inside of her.

How could she ever look at that man the same way again? How would she ever forgive him?

She wouldn't. After all the years of being together, she just couldn't forgive him. This horrible thought alone sent her into another bout of hysterics no amount of consoling would be able to stop.

With all the noise she was making in her never-ending sorrow, Lucina failed to hear the front door open, or the light footsteps that followed. She was too lost in herself to care.

"Mom?"

_Everything was supposed to be **normal.**_

"Mom! Mom, what happened?! Mom!" Cold hands cupped her heated cheeks, barely leaving any impression on the mess of a woman.

_Everything was supposed to be **okay**._

Her breathing hitched and she looked up at her son, her eyes bloodshot and puffy, her skin red and blotchy, her nose running continuously. Her mouth trembled as her heart rate quickened, and soon she was crushing the surprised boy to her, burying her face into his chest as she cried harder.

_But nothing ever turns out the way it's supposed to._

"Mom, I need you to tell me what happened, please," the young man pleaded, gently stroking his mother's hair out of her face. She sniffled, her shoulders shaking as she pulled back.

Lucina looked up into the eyes of her son, the spitting image of her husband, and her lips trembled once more. His wide and innocent eyes were what gave her the will to calm down enough to explain what exactly it was that his atrocity of a father had done.

"M-Mason," she started shakily, her eyes struggling to focus on him through her tears. "It's Orianna...She-She's-"

"What? What about Ori?" He asked fervently, his heart rate picking up speed as panic set in.

He turned away from her and frantically looked around the room, searching for his little sister in vain. Fear began festering deep in his heart, a sense of dread making his skin feel ice cold. It took more force than he thought it would to finally ask-

"Where's Ori, Mom?"

"Your father...He just-He took her and he-" Her voice was wavering too much for her to continue. Her face crumbled and she took a few shuttering breaths to try and calm herself down enough to formulate a coherent answer.

"What did he do to her, Mom?" He asked as the dread curled deep in his gut. She slowly brought her gaze back up to his, her pale eyes suddenly dry.

"He took her. He put her where we could never get her again."

"You don't mean-"

"Mason, he took her to the other side of the Wall."

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><p><strong>AN: **And there we have it.

More to Come.

Gotta be patient, yo.

Okay.

Bye.


	2. Chapter 1- A Broken Promise

Welcome! Enjoy the chapter!

Onto the story!

_Disclaimer:_ I don't own anything, really. Just this pack of gum I bought the other day. And there's only four pieces left. That's about it.

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><p><strong>FLASHBACK TO THE LAST CHAPTER<strong>

_"What did he do to her, Mom?" He asked as the dread curled deep in his gut. She slowly brought her gaze back up to his, her pale eyes suddenly dry._

_"He took her. He put her where we could never get her again."_

_"You don't mean-"_

_"Mason, he took her to the other side of the Wall."_

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><p><strong><em>-Year 844-<em>**

**_"Orianna,"_** he called gently, leaving the back door open as his eyes searched the room.

"Yes, Daddy?" I answered immediately, swallowing my mouthful of breakfast before turning around in my seat to look at him. I picked up my Big Girl cup and sipped from it, blinking at him over the clear glass as I drank my fill.

He looked happy to see me as he came a few steps closer, a smile beginning to grow on his bushy face. My heart gave a little flutter as I looked up higher, into his dark, dark eyes, a sinking feeling filling me as I cast my gaze elsewhere. It was the smile that didn't match his eyes again. That's the only smile I ever got from him anymore.

"There you are. How's my special girl?" He chuckled as he walked over to me. I made sure to be extra careful putting my cup down next to my cereal, not needing a repeat of the last time I set it down without looking, my tongue poking out a bit as I set it down with a soft _thud_. Proud of my accomplishment, I turned back and beamed up at him, holding my arms out wide in hopes that he would hug me.

"I'm okay! Mama let me use a Big Girl glass again today!" I giggled as he lifted me up out of my chair, his hug lacking the usual warmth. _Again_. I closed my eyes and held on tight anyway, just thankful he was holding me at all.

"She did? How nice," he mumbled, causing me to giggle again as his beard tickled my neck.

"Mmm-Hmm! And Macy said he would take me into the market today if I ate _allllll_ my breakfast!" I explained with excitement, putting my small hands against his chest and wriggling back so I could see his face.

"He's a good boy, too. Hey, where exactly are Mama and Macy?" He asked politely, his voice getting all grumbly when he said their names. I put a finger to my chin and thought about it hard.

"Mama said she had to...go help a lady with her baby down the road...and Macy went to go get some stuff from the nice doctor man...I think," I replied slowly, nodding along with what I was saying by the end of it. Daddy smiled again, and my toes curled in my shoes with joy when his eyes sparkled.

"I have something I have to show you, Ori. Something _really_ big. Do you wanna come see it with me?" He inquired excitedly, his eyes lighting up along with my own. My face fell though as I thought about the promise I had made to my big brother. I'd pinky swore. I couldn't go back on a pinky swear.

"I promised Macy though," I pouted, my eyebrows pinching together as I looked down.

"Macy won't mind, and besides, I'll bring you back in time to finish breakfast," he said with a light chuckle, his chest rumbling with the comforting sound.

"Do you pinky swear?"

With all the seriousness I could muster, I held up my hand, extended pinky waiting to be sweared with. He nodded hurriedly, already reaching his big hand to curl his thick pinky with mine. I quickly dodged his hand and held my own behind my back, my eyes narrowing as I frowned.

"**_Don't swear unless you mean it._**"

Daddy didn't always keep his promises, but that didn't stop him from promising anyway. I didn't want to be told a pretty lie only to be really disappointed when the ugly truth came out. And it always did. Sometimes it made me cry. Sometimes it made Mama cry. I didn't like being sad, and I really wanted to go to market today. I hadn't been there in so long I couldn't count it on my fingers anymore. So I gave my daddy the fiercest look I could as I slowly brought my hand back out, watching his hand warily in case I had to hide my own again. He blinked, looking into my determined eyes in surprise. I didn't budge, stubborn in my plea to come back in time so that I could go play with Macy in town.

"Okay, honey, I swear," he replied solemnly, and I got in real close to his face to tell if he was lying or not. Satisfied to see he wasn't lying, my face split into a large grin as I curled my pinky around his bigger one. I practically bubbled with anticipation as I clapped loudly, letting out a little giggle as he began walking towards the back door.

"Where are we going, Daddy? Huh? Huh?" I wriggled, wrapping my arms securely around his neck as he closed the door behind him.

"It's a surprise, Ori. If you're quiet, we might even get out there faster," he grumbled, and I immediately shut my mouth.

Daddy wasn't nice when he grumbled. When Daddy started grumbling, Macy would tell me to go in his room and count all the dust bunnies hiding under his bed. I usually made friends with the fluffy devils, giving them names and lives and telling their stories. I was always told that I had to stay under there until Macy came in and got me out. Sometimes he would come under there with me and listen to my stories quietly. His lips always looked bigger when he came under there with me, and so did his eyes. He would tell me that he was allergic to the little bunny people, but it was hard to believe him. Especially those times when he would hold me close like I used to do with my old teddy bear, his body shaking while he got my shirt sleeve all wet. I never asked him about any of it, just appreciating his closeness as I retold the bunnies' tales until he stopped shaking.

We did this every time Daddy grumbled. The small space underneath his bed became our little hideout, where nothing could hurt us except the wooden boards holding his bed up. Only now I couldn't go to the bunny people. And Macy wasn't here to take me.

"Can I ride on your shoulders, Daddy? Like I used to do?" I whispered softly. My fingers played with the frayed edges of my shirt, scared to look in his eyes. He had dark, scary eyes when he grumbled. He stopped walking, his breath leaving him in a long _whoosh_ as he sighed.

"I suppose so...this last time..." He murmured, causing me to perk up and beam at him once more.

After situating myself so that I was comfortable on his shoulders, I threaded my little fingers into his thick hair, getting a gentle grip so I wouldn't fall off like that one time. He continued walking, his steady pace relaxing me. This was the first time he had willingly held me, or even touched me, in a long time. It was just like old times, back when Daddy loved me.

I must've had myself a lil' nap, because when I opened my eyes again we were in the bustling streets of town, far away from our little farm. My eyes got huge as I _oooed_ and _ahhed_ over the colorful _everything_. No one ever took me into town other than Macy nowadays. Mama was always helping out other people near our farm, and Daddy was never home at all. Macy and I practically ran the house. Macy was my bestest friend.

"Can we go to the candy shoppe? _Pleeassee_, Daddy?" I begged loudly, my eyes latched onto the building in question. Mama took me there for my birthday one time, and I got to pick out some candy all by myself. She even let me pay for it.

"No. Now be quiet!" He growled from below me, and I felt the happiness I had held dear just fall away to nothing. I bit my lip and stayed silent, hoping he wouldn't get any angrier.

People passed by of all different shapes and sizes, some of them even looking up and smiling at me. I always smiled back, or waved, or mouthed a hello. This was why I loved being in the city. So many people to see, so many places to go. It was so exciting when usually all I had were some cows and a sheep or two to keep me company.

The crowd began to thin out after a while, and the buildings didn't look so nice anymore. I hunkered down closer to Daddy's head, my eyes huge as I looked down all the dark alleyways and trash on the ground. A small scream had to be held back when I saw a rat the size of a small dog scurry across the old cobblestone.

"Are we almost there, Daddy?" I whispered loudly, holding his head tighter. He huffed in annoyance, making me regret asking in the first place.

"Yes, _Orianna_, we are," he replied shortly, his big hands clenching into fists at his sides. I didn't question him again.

Daddy finally came to a stop near a big, riding horse and the cart it pulled behind it, easily grabbing me and yanking me off of his shoulders. I blinked owlishly and looked around, suddenly feeling like I wasn't safe anymore. Dread curled in my chest, and I was tempted to grab Daddy's shirt for comfort, but thought against it.

"Jorran!" He shouted, making me flinch from the loud sound.

"Geez, quiet it down, will ya? Not that big of an alleyway," a low voice grumbled, it's owner gradually emerging from the shadows. My face lit up in a grin and I took a quick step forward towards him.

"Uncle Jorran!" I cried, making to take off towards him again when a large hand clamped down on my arm.

"Shut up, Ori," Daddy snarled, glaring harshly at me. Uncle Jorran's forehead crinkled as he looked between the two of us, realization dawning in his dark eyes.

"You want me to take her?" He choked out, eyes wide as his hands gripped his short beige jacket. "Jonah, have you lost it?"

"I don't need you to lecture me, Jorran," the big man holding me back howled, his bushy eyebrows turning downwards in anger. "I told you why this needs to be done, and you agreed. I thought you were a man who never went back on his word?"

My uncle's eyes narrowed in resentment, and he took a step away from us, his knife-thingys and their box glinting in the dim lighting.

"You regretted to tell me who exactly I would be taking," he hissed, eyes flashing to my concerned face and back to the stranger next to me. "I am not taking my niece."

"Oh really now, Jorran," his hand clenched tighter around my shoulder, "Do you really want to cross me?"

"Daddy, what are you two talking about?" I asked quietly, cringing when his fingers dug into my skin. His face was bright red and his eyes were murderous, and it was all I could do to stand there and look back at him. My nails began to dig into the skin of my palms as I held back whimpers of pain.

"_Shut your little trap, or so help me I will shut it for you!_" The man once known as my father screamed at me, the tears falling without my meaning to. Jorran leapt forward when he raised his hand, my eyes widening as he tried to smack me.

"Jonah! What the hell is the matter with you?!" Uncle Jorran exclaimed, gripping his wrist before it made impact.

"Let me go!" He shouted, thrashing his arm wildly to get out of my uncle's grasp.

"Jorran! Listen to me! She is a _monster_! She's not a little girl anymore. _She's one of them_!"

They both froze, my uncle's eyes slowly sliding to look over at me. My body trembled with the silent sobs that I was trying my hardest to hold back, but I couldn't anymore. My daddy's hand had slipped from my shoulder when Uncle Jorran grabbed him, so I was able to take a few steps back. I wanted to run away, to go hide under Macy's bed like always, but I didn't know the city well enough to go anywhere. I was trapped.

"Orianna?" The taller of the two man whispered, his dark eyes wide with horror. Daddy looked smug, like he had finally won a game he knew from the start he was going to win. My eyebrows pinched together and I brought my small hands to my chest, lightly biting down on a finger to quiet my crying.

"Take her with you, Jorran. We don't need things like _her_ here," Daddy persuaded, watching my uncle's face closely. Uncle Jorran nodded and closed his eyes, his face tight as he let go of my daddy's arm.

"What are you talking about, Daddy?" I sobbed, momentarily forgetting his threat to hit me.

"Ori, I need you to come with me, darlin'," Uncle Jorran said quietly, letting go of Daddy as he came closer to me.

"Where ar-are we g-going?" I blubbered, taking his outstretched hand in my little one.

"We are going to go on a little trip for awhile, okay? Okay?" He repeated, his eyes shiny as he led me to the cart.

"But Daddy said-"

"It's only for a little while, Ori. You'll be back home before you know it," he whispered, lifting the green tarp covering the cart up.

"I pinky promised Macy-!"

"Just be a Big Girl and climb in the cart, okay, darlin'?"

I looked back over at Daddy, my lip sticking out a little as big, fat, alligator tears rolled down my cheeks. When Uncle Jorran picked me up and sat me down under the tarp, I still didn't look away. I stared. He stared back. He wasn't Daddy. He stopped being my daddy the day I started hiding under the bed. The day he stopped loving me.

I felt hurt. Deep inside my heart, I hurt. He knew it. He could see it in my eyes. He could see it on my face. The anger, the sadness, the hurt. He knew. And despite that, he smiled as we pulled away. A great, big smile.

And for once, it reached his eyes.

The wood planks felt rough on my tender skin as I curled into a ball, letting the jerky motions of the cart rock me into some sort of fitful sleep. _Why would Daddy do this?_ I cried in my head, the tears not having paused in the slightest. The steady beat of the horse's hooves gave me something to listen to as the cart moved along. _Where is Uncle Jorran taking me?_

Cheers, clapping, whoops, and shouts. The sudden roar of a crowd startled me into being awake. Peeking out from under the green tarp, my large eyes grew even bigger as I took in the sight of it all.

There were people lining the streets, some looking serious and angry, others wearing bright smiles as they cheered away. I blinked and looked around, seeing a whole line of other carts with a lotta older people steering the horses. They all were so serious, like Macy was some of the time now. And they were all dressed like Uncle Jorran, which was weird. I always thought Gramma just didn't give him the right clothes to wear, making the pants too tight in some places and the coats too short. Well, maybe all their Mama's dressed them like that. Old people were pretty weird, too, so it would make sense, right?

In the crowd I was able to spot a bunch of my classmates standing with their parents, but none of them could see me. My bestest friend other than Macy was there with her mommy, her little sister hanging off her arm as she pointed at the horses with awe. Sharrol smiled at Little Lucie, _ooo-_ing and _ahh-_ing right along with her as we moved along.

Sharrol was the best sister Lucie could ask for, always looking after the tiny girl just like she looked after me. And she was always so nice to me, even when the older kids tried to tease me for being so much smaller than them. I was just short for my age, that was all.

One of the cart's wheels fell into a pothole, the sudden lurch causing me to jump in surprise. The green tarp lifted half a foot higher for a brief moment, my view of the crowd getting bigger because of it. Fear clenched in my little heart at the sight of all the people, my breathing coming in short pants as I looked in between them all. None of them paid any attention to me and my panicked heart, except for one.

Towards the back, standing on boxes, were the doctor man's son and his friend that lived with him, the quiet girl. His big, bright eyes were locked on mine, his happiness in seeing the parade of carts fading away into confusion the longer he looked at me. His friend hadn't even noticed me, her scarf holding most of her attention. Our eyes stayed locked onto each other until the tarp flapped back down, my world going dark as the light was blocked out.

He saw me.

He _saw_ me.

Hope brought a small smile to my face as I thought about what it could mean. He could tell Mama where I was, and then she could come and get me, and we could go away with Macy and live happily ever after- _without_ Daddy. Or, or maybe he could tell _his_ Daddy, and then he could come help me, just like he did for the scarf girl.

The cart came to a stop, jerking my body and making me roll across the wooden floor. I curled back up into a ball, my arms doing their best to keep my head safe from any sudden hits. We were moving faster than before, at least it felt like we were by the jerky, bumpy motion of the cart. _Was the horse running? Where were we going?_

It felt like I was in there, under that tarp for hours, the rough floor of the cart leaving splinters in my fragile skin that caused me to bleed. I winced every time one dug itself in, letting the soft steam that came from the tiny wound calm my heartbeat as the small shard of wood was pushed back out.

I didn't even notice when the cart came to a stop a second time, my skin still feeling as though we were moving even though we weren't. The tarp was thrown back, the blinding light of the afternoon sun hurting my pale eyes. I was gently picked up out from the cart, Uncle Jorran taking care not to bump me up against anything before he set me down.

Once my eyes adjusted to the light is when I looked around and saw the humongous trees surrounding us, their large branches reaching for the sky I could barely see through their tops. Fear of the unknown had me backing up into my uncle, my hands curling into his shirt as I hid my face.

"Darlin', I need you to listen to me, it's very important that you pay attention," Uncle Jorran whispered hastily, cupping my face with his big hands. I looked up at him with a quivering lip, the hair on the back of my neck standing on end as the trees groamed in the distance, like something was using them to move itself along.

"Down through that wooded copse over there and a little to the East, there should be a small house. It has some food, water, and other things you'll need. You are gonna need to dig up enough to keep you going for a few days until you can go back. Use the backpack that's under the cupboard near the front door-"

"Uncle Jorran, what are you trying to say?" I interrupted, my young mind struggling to keep up with his many instructions. He paused, blinking a few times as he looked at me. His shoulders sagged and he hung his head when he realized something.

"She's only nine, remember that, Jorran," he whispered to himself, rubbing his stubbly face as he sighed.

"Okay, darlin', how about this. Are you any good at climbing trees?" I hesitated, examining his face closely before nodding.

"That's good. You'll need to be if you're out here," he said quickly, almost like he was talking to himself again. "Now, I want you to stay high up in the trees during the day, alright? When the sun goes down is when you can come back down, but you need to be extra careful at all times. Can you do that for me?"

"Yes," I mouthed, my throat not allowing me to speak through the lump in it.

"At night you can go to that little house I told you about earlier. There should be some food and a blanket or two for you to use if it's gets nippy. I'll try to be back in a day or two to help you, so just sit tight and pay attention to any little noise you hear.

"Darlin', I love ya to pieces, and I'm praying to whatever god is out there that you'll be okay," he sighed, pulling me in for a hug. Tears welt up in my eyes as I returned it, clutching him as tightly as I could to myself to remember what it was like to be held with love.

"Why did Daddy do this, Uncle Jorran?" I murmured into his shirt, not willing to let go just yet. He was quiet for a moment as he lovingly stroked my hair, the groaning noises having faded away in another direction.

"I don't know the answer to that, darlin'."

"He pinky promised me I'd be back to finish my breakfast. He _pinky promised!_" I cried into his shirt, gripping the bottom edge of his jacket in a sudden bout of anger.

"I was supposed to go into town with Macy today, he told me he wanted to show me something he was gonna get me as soon as we had the money for it. He said it was a present, just for me." I sobbed, falling limp against him.

"**_Daddy promised_**..."

"I'm so sorry, Ori," Uncle Jorran mouthed into my hair, holding me tighter like he was never gonna let me go.

"Uncle Jorran, why did Daddy call me a monster? Did he mean that I-" I hiccuped, eyes widening in horror, "Did he mean I was like a Titan?"

"Ori, darlin', don't you dare believe a word that man says," he said lowly, his face turning serious as he tried to calm me down. "He doesn't know what he's talking about."

I wrapped my arms around his neck, nestling my face in my arms so only my eyes could peek out. He sighed like Mama did when Macy or I trailed mud all over the kitchen after playing in the fields. Well, it was mostly mud. It was hard to tell once it dried.

Giving myself a moment to just be there, for once being comforted instead of running away to Macy's room to hide. Taking a deep breath, I sniffled and wiped my eyes, tired of crying. A sudden flash of color in the sky drew my puffy eyes, and I was immediately curious about it.

"Uncle Jorran? What does the purple smoke mean?" I asked quietly, following the pretty color as it traveled higher and higher in the sky. My uncle tensed up against me, his eyes shooting open as he turned to look at the sky.

"An emergency?" He whispered in disbelief, his thick eyebrows drawing together as he watched a second flare go up, this one a dangerous black.

"An Aberrant...I have to go now, darlin'," he said lowly, eyes on the sky as he stood up.

"Are you coming back?" I murmured, picking on the edges of my shirt again. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, curling his big hands into fists while he did so.

"Soon. I'll come back soon, darlin'."

"Do you promise?" I asked in a small voice, unable to look away from him.

"I promise."

"Okay," I nodded, watching quietly as he got back on his horse.

"Ori, I love you just like you were my own. Please, be safe. I know you'll be okay."

"Goodbye, Uncle Jorran," I called softly, my eyes following him until he turned around a bend in the slim path.

"I love you, too."

He didn't hear me.

"**_Remember your promise_**," I whispered, falling to the ground as I thought about everything I had just lost.

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><p><strong>AN:** Chapter Two= complete.

I hope this shed a little light on how everything went down. If you are confused, leave a review. I read all of them and will willingly answer your question via PM or in the next chapter.

Thank you to all the fresh faces in the crowd tonight, you are the reason I do this.

Until next time.

Okay.

Bye.


	3. Chapter 2- Going Home

Longest chapter I have ever written for any story to date! Wow! Anyway, welcome back. I know it's been a while, but for the longest time I got discouraged on where I wanted to take this story. After getting a pep-talk from myself in current weeks, I decided to get back to it. So, here it is!

Onto the Story!

_Disclaimer_: I do not own Attack on Titan. That would be so awesome, though.

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><p><strong>FLASHBACK TO THE LAST CHAPTER<strong>

_"Goodbye, Uncle Jorran," I called softly, my eyes following him until he turned around a bend in the slim path._

_"I love you, too."_

_He didn't hear me._

"**Remember your promise**,"_ I whispered, falling to the ground as I thought about everything I had just lost._

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><p><strong><em>-Year 845-<em>**

It was light out. The sun must have risen hours ago. Why was I awake?

I yawned, stretching my arms out until my back gave a satisfying _pop_. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and looked around, frowning as it got brighter and brighter out. A brave little sparrow came up towards the branch I was sitting on, stopping to rest beside me with a small chirp.

"Hello, little birdie," I said, putting up a hand to cover another yawn. "What are you doing over here?"

The brown bird just looked up at me, giving me another chirp as it hopped closer. I smiled kindly, my heart getting all fuzzy feeling. It wasn't scared of me. I held my arm out so it could fly up on it, crossing my toes hoping that it would.

Its beady, black eyes turned toward my arm, its head cocking to the side as it hopped a step back. My smile slowly fell, a cold feeling settling in my tummy. I was so silly. Of course the birdie was scared of me. Everything was. Even Daddy. A frown formed on my face as I looked at my lap, putting my arm down as I tried not to cry. Why did I even bother anymore.

_Chirp_.

I looked up, staring at the sparrow as it flew up onto my hand. Its little claws scratched at the skin on my palm, but I didn't notice. My heart soared, the tears I had been trying to hold back falling as I grinned. The birdie ruffled its feathers as it watched me watch it, probably having no idea what I was doing.

"Thank you, Birdie," I whispered, sniffling softly so I didn't snot up my shirt again.

A shrill, spine-chilling, skin-prickling scream echoed around us, scaring me and causing my tree to shake from the vibrations it caused. Birdie got scared too and flew away, disappearing into the forest before I could even say goodbye. My lower lip quivered and I hugged my knees to my chest as another shriek ripped through the air. This was why I wanted to sleep during the day. I didn't want to hear them roar and cry and growl. I didn't want to hear them scream. But, most of all, I didn't want to see them.

I had lost track of how long it had been since Uncle Jorran left me out here. He never came back like he promised he would. Grown-ups never keep their promises. The trees were my shelter during the day, just in case one of them found me and tried to get me. They never did, though. But, they did scream. Most of the time I could sleep through it. Macy always used to tell me trying to wake me up was like trying to wake the dead.

"I wish I was back home," I sighed, pulling on my backpack. It was filled all the way up with stuff from the house Uncle Jorran tried to tell me about before he left, but it didn't weigh me down any. Nothing seemed to be too much for me to handle.

The bark was rough against my little fingers as I climbed my way down, eyes wide as I watched for any movement below. I hadn't been down there during the day since I last saw Uncle Jorran. Leaning out a little, I craned my neck to look around trees, making sure nothing was hiding from me. Another scream shook the ground, and I just couldn't keep my grip. My fingers slipped, and it was like I was as light as Birdie was as I fell.

My legs flailed and my arms reached for something, anything, to grab and stop me from falling all the way to the ground. I opened my mouth, wanting to scream, but knowing there was no one to rescue me. Daddy wouldn't be there to catch me. Mama wouldn't be there to help make me feel better. Macy wouldn't be there to dry my tears. I had no one. They didn't want me. I was a little monster.

Maybe I deserved this. Maybe Daddy would love me again if I just let this happen. I was a monster, wasn't I? I would only scare my little brother or sister, wouldn't I? I didn't want that. I didn't want any of this.

A giant warmth wrapped around me, jerking me to a stop and rattling my brain. I curled my fingers into the warmth, my heart going crazy in my chest as I struggled to see. I wasn't dead. I didn't hit the ground. But, what saved me?

Heavy breathing. It was loud, with big puffs of air blowing my red hair around my face. It sounded like the cows used to the neighbor lady had when they were having babies, like it hurt just to breathe. I pushed the tangled knots of hair out of my face and turned, eyes widening as I saw it for the first time.

Matted, black hair covered its head, chunks of it coming out like it had been pulling on them. Its big mouth hung open, with hot, horrible smelling air blowing towards me every time it took a breath. My nose wrinkled when its tongue lolled out of the side of its cheek, wiggling around the hole like a maggot. Its buggy eyes looked about ready to pop out of its head, their milky blue colors reminding me of Macy's old baby blanket, only nowhere nearly as cuddly.

Its sickly thin body was covered in cuts, like it had run through a rose bush or something. I looked at one cut in particular on its arm, watching as a soft puff of steam trailed out of it before gasping. Images of splinters and scraped knees disappearing in a little thing of smoke filled my head. _Was I…Was I like this thing? This…This monster?_

Its crooked jaw opened a little bit wider, making me look at it in curiosity before it let out a hair-splitting screech. I covered my ears immediately, terrified of the sound. It was so loud, so high-pitched my ears rang until I couldn't hear anything else. It felt like it lasted forever, one thought bouncing around in my head as I squeezed my eyes shut.

A titan.

It was a titan.

It was what Uncle Jorran went out and protected the walls from. It was one of the beasts Macy would tell me stories about. What Sharrol talked about fighting when she got older whenever her mommy wasn't listening.

I opened my mouth to scream, but only air came out. It was horrifying, just as Macy had described to me. It was a real-life _monster_, not just one from those stories he told me to try and scare me. Its thick fingers were wrapped around my small body, making it hard to breathe. Its milky blue eyes stared right into my wide ones. A living, breathing, _titan_.

The titan cocked its head to the side, its crooked mouth wobbling like a loose tooth. Its yellow, rotted teeth were barely staying in the black gums. My nose curled and I sneezed, the smell making me wanna throw up. It tried to move its broken jaw, but it only made the smell worse.

"_Ellllllree._" It groaned. Its stinky mouth tried its hardest to move, but it just couldn't. Those big, bugged eyes never stopped watching me, looking both crazy and begging at the same time.

Macy never told me about that. He told me they only ated people, not that they could talk or look at me like that. My fingers dug into its skin, but I couldn't hurt it. I was too little. It was gonna eat me, just like they ate Aunt Maren. My lip quivered and the tears came again. I didn't wanna die. Not like this. I didn't want to be eated.

Looking down, I suddenly realized that it didn't have any legs. There were only ripped nubs from the knee down, steam curling into the air as they tried to grow back. Macy told me they would always grow their bodies back, no matter how bad they looked. It cried out again, forcing me to look into its terrifying gaze.

I almost peed myself.

"_Hhhelllllleee!_"

"No!" I yelped, too scared to think right. I gripped the huge fingers that held me tight, pushing with all my might to get them off of me.

Everything was hot, too hot, and steam was everywhere. I couldn't see. It was so thick, I couldn't see _anything_. The tears came immediately, and I sobbed, just wanting to get away, to go back to Macy and Mama and Sharrol. I wanted to go home.

The titan shrieked, but I wouldn't let go of its fingers. It felt like my hands were sliding around on its skin, probably because of how sweaty I was. I panicked, thinking I was gonna lose my grip and never get away.

"Put me down put medownputmedownputmedown!" I cried, pounding my fists into its hand. The monster grunted, sounding a lot like a kicked dog as it screamed for the final time.

Just like that, all the heat, the tears, and the fingers, were gone.

And I was falling.

The ground wasn't as hard as I thought it was. It was so cool on my hot body, the loose dirt comforting. Only my hands were hurting, but that was probably because I tried to beat up a titan.

_The titan_.

I scrambled to my feet, tugging my backpack up and on. Taking a deep breath, I took off running, making my short legs work as fast as they could to get out of there. I looked over my shoulder once, but quickly turned back around, squeezing my eyes closed for a second. I just had to keep running. Maybe if I ran fast enough, I would forget what I saw. Yeah, that would work. Just keep running.

When I stopped, I had no idea where I was. This part of the forest was different than the rest, the trees were smaller, lighter, newer. The ground was smoother, and soon enough I found a path that got bigger and bigger until it looked more like a road. My heart fluttered in my chest as a feeling of hope made me catch my breath. Roads meant carts. Carts meant people.

"People," I said, cupping a hand over my mouth to try and stop myself. Whoops.

Maybe I could finally go home.

I followed the road for hours, watching as the trees got thinner and thinner. That meant I was coming to an edge, didn't it? And then I was out of there.

My stomach growled loudly, the sound making me jump after everything being so quiet for so long. I was hungry already? Weird. I plopped down on the ground anyway, digging through my backpack to find something to eat.

"Peaches? Yes!" I laughed, pulling out a jar of peaches and opening it easily. We hardly ever had peaches back home. They were too expensive. But here they were, just sitting in an old house no one even lived in anymore.

I dug out the slices with my hands, slurping them up as quickly as I could. My hands were getting all gunked up, but that was okay. They were so good I couldn't stop until they were all gone, leaving just an empty jar and sticky fingers. I missed them already. They reminded me of Mama, and of the farm.

_Don't worry, Mama. I'll be home soon._

I washed my hands with water from a waterskin, or whatever Macy used to call them. I washed the jar out too before I put it back in my bag. Never knew when I would need it again.

My belly made little swishy sounds as I walked, making me giggle and spin around in circles until I felt like the peaches were gonna come back up. I started humming to distract myself, trying my hardest to remember how the song went. Mama used to sing it to me every night, but now I was starting to forget it. Soon I'd forget what my own name was!

I stopped.

I panicked.

_What was my name?_

My chest hurt. My head hurt. What was it?

Macy had a rhyme for it. Sometimes, when I went to bed and laid down funny, I snored. He always made fun of me for it. Snore. Snor-y.

"Snor-y Ori," I murmured, holding onto my backpack strap. "My name is Ori."

I didn't know I would ever forget myself. It was scary. Really scary. I'd never forgotten my name before.

I needed Mama. I needed Macy.

The sun glared down at me, hurting my eyes. I threw my hands up to cover them, just then realizing that I was out of the forest. My skin tingled in the heat, and I suddenly felt a lot cleaner, like I had just had a bath. I took a deep breath, the air feeling like it was filling me up, making me lighter. My eyes widened as a whole new possibility opened up.

Maybe I could fly!

A skinned knee and a dirt sandwich later I sat on the ground, knowing the answer to my thought immediately.

"At least, I can't yet," I sighed, scraping some soil from my knee before it could be trapped inside. The steam was faster than normal, but it did the same thing it always did. I brushed some more dirt off my scummy clothes before picking my backpack back up. Time to keep moving.

The green hills looked soft and friendly in the distance, but they took forever to climb just walking. All of the light feeling from earlier was going away. My arms and legs felt heavy, like if I didn't move faster I would fall over and stay there. I puffed out a few breaths and pushed myself to speed up, feeling my skin start to tingle again as I blew off more energy. It felt good.

Soon enough I was laughing as I reached the top of the hill, launching myself at the ground to sit under the lone tree on top of it. The shade was nice, giving me a break and a place to drink some water. How far away was home, anyway?

The waterskin-thing was running low, but I decided not to worry about it. I would get more when I got home. So, I got back up and took off again, chasing bunnies and birdies when I scared them. The bunnies were easy to outrun, but the birdies were fast little fliers. I had to really push myself to get ahead of them, but I did it! Mama always told me if I took my medicine I would grow up big and strong! Maybe she just forgot to tell me that I would be fast, too? She was forgetful sometimes.

I came up to the top of another hill and looked out around me, spinning in a small circle to take in it all. My spin stopped half-way when my eyes landed on something in the distance. I cocked my head to the side, squinting to try and make out what it was. A tall rock? A row of tall rocks? There were patches of trees scattered near it, and if I narrowed my eyes enough, I could see little houses spread out near them, too. No, wait, those were rocks, not houses. Big rocks. Not as big as the other ones.

And then it clicked.

"Home."

At that point it didn't matter that I felt cold and empty, or that the birdies and bunnies were scattering to get away from me. It was there, I had made it.

I was almost home.

I cried. The tears felt good against my face and the sun was filling me up again as I ran. Home. I would see Macy again. And Uncle Jorran. And Mama. And the baby. My little brother or sister. How old would they be? One? Had it been that long? I hoped they looked like Mama.

I slowed down, coming to a stop in front of the fifty-meter walls of rock. My fingers brushed against the rough surface and I leaned my forehead against it, sobbing as my fingers curled into fists. My legs gave out underneath me and I fell to my knees, a feeling in my chest suddenly hurting me. It felt like there was a little animal inside of there, and they wanted to get out. My hands dropped from the wall as I leaned my head back the feeling disappearing again as I took in the beautiful warmth of the sun. It was so nice. So nice.

Grass rustled to my right, freezing me in place. I cracked open my eyes, looking out of the corner of my eye for the reason.

A young boy stood a long ways away, pacing back and forth through the grass near the wall. He ran his hands through his dark hair a few times and took a few deep breaths before turning to the walls. I sat up, watching him in curiosity as he took a few steps back from them. He was skinny, kinda like me, with a light blue jacket on and a backpack. He stayed standing there like that for a long time, making me wonder what he was thinking about.

He slowly pulled something shiny out of his boot, and when I squinted hard enough, I saw that it was a knife. I gasped when he cut his palm, the red of his blood so bright I could see it from where I was. I jumped up, about to rush over to fix him when a bright flash of lightning struck down, hitting him. Steam exploded from where he stood and I was knocked onto my back, a sharp, crackling sound reaching my ears as the jar in my backpack shattered. But I didn't focus on that. I couldn't. Not with what I was seeing.

It was big. Bigger than the wall. And _red_. Like blood. My tummy rolled at the sight of it. I looked around for the boy, but he wasn't anywhere to be seen. That meant…The boy…

A titan. He was a titan.

Everything the giant did was so slow, but so strong. It reached up and grabbed the top of the walls, making the rock crumble immediately. I scrambled to my feet, backing away slowly as the big, red monster lifted one of his legs. He was going to kick it.

I turned to look for somewhere to hide, but there was nowhere to run.

They were everywhere. Some running. Some shuffling. One crawling. They were all coming towards the wall, towards the giant titan.

Time slowed down. The red titan's leg was flying towards the wall, about to go right through the door and cause everything to crumple. I ran to my section of wall, pressing up against a pillar to brace myself.

The impact was jarring. Parts of the wall broke off and went flying. A titan shrieked somewhere nearby. And then I heard it. The horror those inside the wall felt being expressed by screams of pain, of hurt. I stumbled away from the wall and looked at the red monster, blinking when it erupted in a cloud of steam and mist, quickly losing its size as it returned to being a young boy. He lost his balance, falling to a knee as he caught his breath. I took a few steps closer, reaching a hand out to him because I had no idea what else to do.

The titans were closing in fast on the new hole in the wall, and I knew it was my only chance to see my family again. I watched the dark-haired boy as he turned to look back at them as well. He seemed to have the same idea I had because he got to his feet again pretty fast. He ran through the new hole before the smoke even had time to clear from it. One last scream from one of the approaching titans was all I needed to hustle on over and pick my way through the hole.

The city was a wreck. People were trapped under chunks of wall, others already dead. A woman clutched a red splattered bundle to her bosom, sobbing hysterically. Some men were working together to try and get a boulder off of a child's leg, but they weren't getting anywhere. It was horrible. It was madness.

I took off running again, my mind racing as I tried to remember the streets. My heart sunk when I saw the ruins of the Candy Shoppe near the town square, a huge piece of the wall having landed right in the middle of it, but I kept moving. I had to. Otherwise, I would realize what was happening. And I wouldn't be able to move anymore.

When a whole new round of screams started, I knew that the titans had come. And that meant I had to go faster. No matter what, I couldn't look back. So I tore through the streets, looking up and down every alley to remember where I was_. Why had I fallen asleep the last time I was here? _That was the only thought bouncing around my head as I paused to really look around.

I don't know why I stopped where I did that day, but looking back, I'm glad I did. Otherwise, I wouldn't have found them.

"Ori?"

I whipped my head to the side, my eyes widening as I took in her straight, brown hair and her shiny brown eyes.

"Sharrol?"

She shakily got to her feet, taking a few steps closer to me as if she couldn't believe I was there.

"I thought you died," she whispered, looking me up and down and taking in my messy clothes. "That's what your father told everyone."

"Oh, Sharrol, I missed you so much," I cried, bringing her into a hug. She hugged me back, holding onto me tightly as she cried into my shoulder.

A piercing shriek sliced through the air, bringing me back to reality. I let go of Sharrol, looking back over my shoulder to see how close they had gotten.

"Sharrol, we have to go," I whispered, tugging her arm to bring her with me. She yanked her arm back, shaking her head as tears welt up in her eyes.

"I can't leave her," she said, stepping aside for me to see what she had been holding when she first called me.

"What happened to her?" I murmured, taking in the sight of the tiny girl with blood on her head.

"T-This rock came f-flying and I didn't know and i-it h-hit her and I-I-" Sharrol bawled, covering her mouth when it became too much. "A-And I can't carry her-"

"I'll carry her. Just tell me how to get to the inner door from here," I said, walking forward and gently scooping up the small frame of Little Lucie. Sharrol nodded, leading the way as another scream echoed around the buildings.

I cradled the little one's head as we dashed through the destruction of the town, only once coming close to one of the rotten smelling monsters before Sharrol took us down another alley. She kept glancing back to make sure I was keeping up, not knowing I could easily outrun her if I wanted. But I would never leave her behind. I would rather die.

We turned down one more street, and there it was. The door was right there with people arguing whether to keep it open or let it shut. I shifted Lucie so that I could grab onto Sharrol's hand, practically dragging her as I ran full-speed toward the door.

My mind couldn't process what was happening fast enough. I was too young, too out of my element. So I only saw the titan at the last second, when it was just about to snatch Sharrol off the ground and take her away. Just like Aunt Maren. And Cousin Lucas. No. I couldn't let that happen. I couldn't.

I pivoted on my foot, shoving Lucie into Sharrol's arms before pushing both of them toward the opening.

"GO!" I screamed, feeling the air leave my lungs when it snatched me up.

Sharrol took off, nearly tripping on every step because she really couldn't carry her sister. She always did follow directions well.

The titan's breath blew my hair everywhere, but it didn't smell as bad as the mangled one in the forest had, which was odd. Its blond hair was stringy with small clots of what looked like blood tangled in it. But the most horrible part of it all, was its smile. It stretched from one ear to the other, so many teeth that I _knew_ were not supposed to be there adding to it. I could feel my body heating up as my fear got bigger. I was gonna die. I hadn't even seen my home yet, and I knew I was gonna die. I closed my eyes. _At least Sharrol will make it out_.

A high-pitched whistle from the left hurt my ears, and I reached to cover them just as a cannonball ripped through the monster's body. It howled, but didn't let go of me. It focused its dull eyes on me, and all I could see was the faint blue gaze of the Forest Titan as it opened its mouth.

"_Hellllleee_," it screamed. It was earsplitting just like the other titan's shout had been. Its thin lips struggled to get past its teeth as it spoke, like it was trying to make an "m" or "b," but it couldn't do it.

Another cannonball soared towards us, this time ripping through the arm that held me. It threw its head back and let out a sound that would have shattered my ears if I hadn't still been holding them closed. And then, it dropped me.

I watched the three-story houses beside me as I fell, counting the floors almost on reflex before I crashed into the ground. This time, I knew everything in my backpack was broken and probably not worth lugging around.

I blinked blearily up at the pretty sky, barely noticing the small hole my body had made in the ground. The titan had turned its attention to the ones firing at it, the arm that had been shot at knitting itself back together, albeit really slowly. Soft steam clouds curled around the Smiling Titan, disappearing into the sky like forgotten clouds.

"_Ori!_" Someone shouted, causing me to push myself up to see who it was. Sharrol. She stood at the entrance of the wall behind a group of Garrison soldiers, struggling against one of them as she stared back at me. Her struggles became faster when she saw me get up.

The soldiers fired a third cannonball at the Smiling Titan, tearing through one of its thighs and bringing it to a knee. I watched it all with a cloudy eye, standing up and feeling like everything was light, like I would float away at any second and become a forgotten cloud, too. I'd felt like this only once before. And the next day Uncle Jorran was taking me outside the Walls.

My legs moved all by themselves, making me go to the brown-haired girl and the group of young men despite it all. I missed getting grabbed by the Smiling Titan by a frog's hair, but I didn't care. I needed to stay focused on her and Lucie, otherwise she'd know. She'd think I was a monster just like Daddy did.

A soldier ran forward and ushered me behind him, calling to his brethren to fire again. He looked familiar, but I couldn't figure out where I knew him from. His brown hair was sticking out everywhere, a slight bit of freckles on his cheeks.

"Come on, go to your friend and get out of here. Get on the boat everyone's loading up on," he told me, calling out another order as he nudged me towards my friend. I grabbed his hand, pulling him down to my level and looking him dead in the eye. I swore I knew him from somewhere.

"Don't die, okay?" I whispered, brushing a kiss against his cheek like I used to see Mama do to Daddy before turning and going to Sharrol.

"Let's get out of here," I said, taking Lucie from her arms again. She nodded, a little bit of snot running from her nose as she wiped some tears from her eyes.

"Okay."

A few more soldiers were directing everyone on where to go, a few glancing at the little girl in my arms. I could see the look in their eyes, could feel the pity they felt. My breath came in soft pants, and as soon as we were in line for the boat I sat down, my vision getting all blurry again.

"Ori, everything's alright. We'll make it through, I swear it," Sharrol said, a determination in her voice that might have scared me a year ago if I hadn't left.

"Okay, Sharie," I breathed, looking down at the cold girl in my arms. I brushed back her stick-straight hair, the sticky blood turning my fingers red. I brought her face closer to mine, whispering to her how sorry I was that this had happened. I had put two-and-two together about everything, and now I realized that I could have stopped this all from happening if only I had called out to that boy. If I had been older, if I had been stronger. If if if.

"I'm so sorry, Lucie," I said quietly, my hands feeling warmer than usual as I cupped her little cheeks. _She hasn't grown much in the past year_, I thought with a wry smile. I pressed my forehead against hers, my heartbeat slowing as my vision faded to black.

_I'm so sorry. _

_Lucie, wake up. _

_So sorry. _

_Forgive me. _

_Please. _

_Lucie. _

_I'm sorry._

**Wake up.**

My spine sent a jolt of electricity through me and I shot up, my lungs burning as I struggled to take in air. Sharrol was crouched beside me, terror in her brown eyes as she clutched my arm. I looked between her eyes in panic, feeling so, so cold. Everything was cold.

"Ori, what's wrong? What did you do?" She cried, looking at my fingers and noticing how blue they looked. Her eyes shot back up to mine.

"What did you do?"

A little cough. It almost got lost in the sound of the crowd around us, but the fact that it came from my lap was enough to get my attention. Sharrol followed my gaze down to her sister, her hands flying to her mouth as she choked on a sob.

"Sharie?" Her breathy voice asked, her blue eyes widening as she glanced around. "Where are we?"

Sharrol wrapped her thin arms around the girl, bringing her to her chest as she cried into her shoulder. Lucie hugged her back, her bones creaking as she moved. Snuffling hard, Sharrol pulled back, looking through Lucie's hair for the injury that had killed her. She looked back up at me, pressing her sister's face to her as she stared.

I didn't know what to say. My mouth opened and closed a few times, but no sound came out. What had I done? Lucie was…She'd been dead. I felt it. Sharrol knew as soon as she was hit by that rock. And yet she was breathing, curling her tiny fingers into her sister's jacket as they hugged. _What had I done?_

"Hey, you kids need to get up. Come on, get moving!" An older man yelled, nudging me none-too-gently. I scrambled to my feet, Sharrol following suit as she helped the little one up. Lucie looked at all the panicked faces around her, frowning and turning to us, her eyes full of questions.

"Sharie, what happened? I thought we were going to the Candy Shoppe," she whined, staying close to her sister's side. Sharrol hushed her, ushering her to move with us as we were moved closer to the boat.

"I'll tell you later, Lu-Lu," Sharrol said, brushing the little one's hair back and ignoring when her hand got stuck on blood. I could see the silent _But-_ wanting to come out of Lucie's mouth, but she held it in. She knew when to listen to her sister and when to argue.

A soldier finally helped us onboard, gesturing for us to go sit near the middle. I shrugged my backpack off, barely paying mind to the shard of glass poking through the side as I walked to the side of the boat and dropped it. The soldier nodded to me in gratitude before I walked back to my spot. More and more people filed on the boat, most looking scared or really sad. I saw a few of the men who had been trying to help that little boy, but no little boy. The children usually came and sat near us, a few of them clutching toys, most shaking and crying. Sharrol had started telling Lucie a story to distract her, unknowingly catching a few of the younger ones' attention as well. And then I saw them.

He had gotten a little taller and his hair was still on the shaggy side. His eyes were wide, but dull, like he couldn't see anything, not really. Empty. His friend silently watched after him, her fingers playing with the red scarf still tucked around her neck. They sat down a few kids away, avoiding looking anyone in the eye.

They pulled the boards away from the dock, but there were still over a hundred people crowding around the sides. A soldier told the people to calm down, that they couldn't fit any more people on, that they were sorry. Women begged for their children to be taken. Babies cried. The soldier just shook his head and shouted for the captain to take off. People flung themselves at the boat, a few catching the side while others just landed in the water. Sharrol held Lucie closer, her story of an ugly duck baby never pausing. I closed my eyes and held onto my legs, just then realizing how bad I probably smelled.

The boat vibrated, causing my eyes to pop back open. I looked at Sharrol, watching as the ground ahead of us shook with the heavy step of something big. Men's shouts filled the air as soldiers raced away from the gate, the door falling too slow for the pace of the footsteps. I spotted the young soldier that I had talked to earlier take off suddenly on his Three Dimensional Maneuver Gear, grabbing the roof of a house and flying towards it faster than those who had not thought to use it.

"The titans are coming! Close the gates!" One member of the Garrison called out, but it did nothing.

The boat rocked again. The vibrations were getting stronger and stronger. I caught a glimpse of a giant foot before the wall exploded, a cloud of smoke and bits of rock going all over the place. Garrison soldiers went flying, some landing on the ground, others hitting buildings. Children and parents alike screamed on the boat, taking me back and reminding me of the Smiling Titan and the Forest Titan. My head hurt, but I knew I had to keep watching.

The titan responsible opened its mouth, sending out a burst of fire that startled the child in front of me. Slowly, it stood up, turning its head to look at our boat. A few of the kids gasped, but I just sat there, staring right back at the beast. Its mouth closed and everyone held their breath, waiting to see what it would do.

Just as quick as it had come, the titan turned and went back through the hole it made, stepping on the bodies left behind like they weren't even there. I held my knees tighter to my chest, closing my eyes as I thought about my home. About Mama. About Macy. Did they make it to a boat earlier? Were they okay? I refused to believe otherwise. Macy wouldn't let Mama die.

Sharrol whispered to me to ask if I wanted to hold Lucie for a while, to which I told her yes, bringing the sleeping girl to my side as I thought about my family. I had worked so hard to get back here, back to them, and then this happens. I closed my eyes, letting a few tears fall at the awfulness of it all.

Why couldn't I have just gone home?

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><p><strong>AN:** Sorry in advance for any mistakes. If you catch any, PM me and I'll change them right away. This is what I get for thinking I could be my own Beta, haha.

Anyways! Back from a longgggg break, eh? I know, I know, it's crazy. At least I didn't take two years. That's when you know there's no hope.

Well, only a smidge less of hope.

I'd hope, if I liked it enough. But that's just how I roll. With butter.

I'll be seeing myself out now.

Don't forget to review! Lemme know what you think is going to happen next! Or, perhaps you wish to discuss just what exactly is up with Miss Orianna? Either way, talk about it in a review!

Okay!

Bye.


	4. Chapter 3- Refugees

And here is Chapter 3 after so long of an absence! Thanks for not giving up on me, all of you lovely people still reading this!

Now, without further adieu...

ONTO THE STORY!

Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan, just my OC's :)

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><p><strong>FLASHBACK TO THE LAST CHAPTER<strong>

_Just as quick as it had come, the titan turned and went back through the hole it made, stepping on the bodies left behind like they weren't even there. I held my knees tighter to my chest, closing my eyes as I thought about my home. About Mama. About Macy. Did they make it to a boat earlier? Were they okay? I refused to believe otherwise. Macy wouldn't let Mama die._

_Sharrol whispered to me to ask if I wanted to hold Lucie for a while, to which I told her yes, bringing the sleeping girl to my side as I thought about my family. I had worked so hard to get back here, back to them, and then this happens. I closed my eyes, letting a few tears fall at the awfulness of it all._

_Why couldn't I have just gone home?_

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><p>The bells tolled lowly, echoing around the area and waking me. I sat up slowly, rubbing the sleep from my eyes as I looked around, watching as birds flitted about the roofs above us, tweeting sweetly to each other. Sharrol moved to sit up as well, yawning loudly and smacking her lips when she stretched.<p>

"It's time to get rations," I whispered, standing up and brushing the dirt off my back.

Sharrol nodded and woke up Lucie, the three of us sore from sleeping in an alley for the night. I had yet to find any of my family, but until I could I was sticking with my friends. Lucie smiled dreamily up at me as I took her hand, Sharrol falling to her other side to take the other one. A friend of Sharrol's mom had told her that her parents had been crushed when a huge chunk of the wall had fallen on their house, killing them both while they were in the kitchen. Lucie didn't know yet.

The open square that had once been the food reserves bustled with people and Garrison, loosely formed lines awaiting to be given their daily portion of food. A fight broke out between two men, one of them looking like the butcher we used to bring our cows to. The fight ended when the other man knocked the butcher out, the Garrison standing idly by as the man rummaged through the butcher's clothes and ran off.

"People make me sick," Sharrol said, her lip curling up as she watched the man go, pressing Lucie closer to her side.

"There just isn't enough food for everyone anymore," I said, touching a warm hand to the butcher's head as we skirted around him.

We walked up to one of the lines and glanced ahead, a feeling of uneasiness fill me at how far away from the stand we were. What if we didn't get anything? I glanced down at the shorter brunette between us, wishing that we could at least find something for her.

"Why do we have to give our food to outsiders?" A Garrison soldier said, causing me to whip around at look at him. "I mean, the Titans broke through the wall anyway. They should've eaten more of them."

Sharrol gasped beside me, hearing his words and covering Lucie's ears. My teeth clenched and I glared at the man's back, my fingers curling into the palm of my free hand.

"This will just make the food shortage worse," the soldier said, his eyes flying open when someone kicked him in the shin. My eyes widened and I took a step closer, recognizing the boy in the dark red jacket.

"What the hell are you doing, you brat?!" He yelled, punching Eren in the face before the other soldier kicked the boy to the ground.

"You don't know what you're talking about! You've never seen it happen with your own eyes!" Eren bit back, his fists clenched as the two stared down at him. "How the Titans eat people..."

All the air left my lungs as the images came flooding back, all the blood and crying and running _and the screams_-

"Shut up!" The soldier snarled, stopping when Eren's friend stepped in between them, a blonde boy that was smarter than any of my other classmates.

"We're sorry! He's just ticked off because he's hungry. That's why he's acting like a brat," the blonde boy said as the girl with the red scarf went to Eren. "We're really sorry!"

The crowd had gone silent during their conversation, all eyes turning to the supposed protector of the refugees. The Garrison soldier looked between all of us, his jaw setting in resentment.

"Whatever," he said with a glare, "You would've been dead without us. You kids should learn to be more grateful."

The angry soldier pushed through the crowd, his fellow soldier following him as he stalked away.

"Yes!" The blonde called back, causing me to look at him in confusion. He was like one of our herding dogs when they did something bad and made Daddy mad.

I turned away from the scene, just then noticing the slight gap between the people ahead of us and us. I pulled the other two along and stared at my feet, noting the dirt coating my skin but not really caring. How could someone be so careless of other people's feelings like that? Especially someone who didn't even know what we had seen back there, all the death and destruction...

"When I become a soldier, I'm gonna be a much better one than that man," Sharrol said softly, looking straight ahead as the line moved again. Her brown eyes shined with determination, and I couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to be a soldier, too.

"Yes you will, because you are the best sister ever, Sharrie!" Lucie giggled, smiling at the both of us and hopping slightly in place. My skin felt cold as I turned away, wondering where my family was and if they had even made it out alive.

I jerked my head up when I heard Sharrol talk again, but this time it was to the Garrison soldier handing her a tiny loaf of bread. I looked up at the woman as she handed Lucie the next one, watching for any signs of disgust. She turned to me, her short hair swishing slightly as she met my eyes. She smiled slightly and handed me my own loaf, her hand warm against my cold one.

"Thank you," I murmured, holding the cold bread to my chest. The soldier nodded, already turning her sights to the next person.

Sharrol led us back to the alley and we set down and ate, Lucie's portion the first to be gone. Sharrol finished hers next, licking the crumbs off of her fingers like she was starving. I looked down to my own untouched loaf, breaking it in half in one motion. Lucie glanced over at me, a hopeful look on her face.

"Can I have half?" She asked, only to be shushed by Sharrol.

"You ate your ration, that's all you get," she scolded, her own stomach growling faintly.

I looked down at the halves again, weighing my own hunger to what they were probably feeling. Silently, I handed them each a half of my loaf. Lucie nodded in thanks and started eating before Sharrol could protest, her eyes searching my face questioningly when I refused to take it back.

"You'll need it more than I will," was all I said, leaning back against the cold brick wall and shutting my eyes.

After that, all the people rescued from Shiganshina were sent to work fields, to try and get more food to feed all of us. But it didn't work. There was still a severe food shortage, and Sharrol and Lucie were still getting skinnier despite me splitting my rations with them.

I met another blonde boy when working the fields, but Sharrol didn't like him. She said he was too arrogant for his own good, which was probably true. However, I couldn't help but like his jokes about what was happening and how he would handle things if he was in charge. It made me smile when happiness was a fleeting thought that hardly anyone had anymore. He told me his name was Reiner Braun. He said he had a friend named Bertolt he wanted me to meet, but there was never time. We all had our specific spots to work, and his friend was somewhere far behind us in a different field. I liked Mr. Braun.

_**-Year 846-**_

The people in charge in the Central Government came up with an idea to take back Wall Maria. They decided to use us refugees, leaving behind only children and those incapable of combat.

They rounded up 250,000 men and women to go fight.

Only one-hundred of them came back.

The food shortage wasn't as bad after that.

Lucie turned five a few days before, but I don't think she noticed. Sharrol and I were planning how we could get her something special for it, but we didn't have anything to offer. Reiner offered to find me something for her, but I couldn't ask him to do that. Besides, I was pretty sure if Sharrol found out she would destroy whatever he got.

The alley had become our home of sorts, seeing as no one wanted to take in three orphans when there were still so many other children roaming the streets. I had managed to "borrow" some coats and other clothes from people around the village to use as blankets, which would have made Sharrol mad if it didn't stop Lucie from shivering so much at night.

Settling into my spot by the wall, I looked out at the people walking home after a long day at work. Refugee children were intermingled with them, a few begging while others held onto their new family member's hand.

Sharrol was sitting across from me, gently stroking Lucie's hair in the lamplight as the little girl slept. I yawned, my body working slower now that the sun was gone. All I wanted to do was sleep.

"I'm going to sign up for military training next year," Sharrol said, her voice so soft I wasn't sure she said anything at first.

We shared a moment of silence as I watched her, eyes narrowing as I analyzed her expression.

"Then I will, too."

Her head snapped up, meeting my gaze for the first time that night.

"Are you serious?" She whispered, looking between my eyes as if one of them held the answer the other hid. I nodded, playing with the frayed end of my sleeve.

"What're we going to do about Lucie, though?" I asked, causing Sharrol's face to fall. She pursed her lips, my words staying her hand. The little girl in question sighed, yawning slightly before shifting to her other side.

"Do you think anyone would...take her in?" Sharrol asked in return, her voice catching as tears welt up. I turned back to the streets, at all the other children being ignored in favor of younger and cuter ones. I bit my lip, the slight pain causing something to twinge a little in my chest.

"I suppose there is a chance...but she wouldn't go."

Sharrol sighed. "I was afraid of that."

"Is there anyone you or your family knew that is, um, still here?"

Sharrol knit her brows and thought about it, her hand moving through Lucie's hair again.

"I suppose my mom's friend is still somewhere around here. She has a bum leg from some sickness she had as a child, so she couldn't go to...to fight," she finally said, swallowing hard. I stood up, brushing myself off as I stepped over to her.

"Then let's go find her and see," I said, scooping up Lucie and holding her to my chest so she could wrap her arms around my neck. Sharrol cleared her throat and nodded, taking my hand as I helped her to stand.

We didn't find the woman, Natalia, that night. Or the night after. Or the week after. And just when we were going to give up the whole thing, we bumped into the dark-skinned widow at the ration stand. She was so glad to see the sisters in one piece after it being so long since they last spoke that she burst into tears and hugged them tight to her withered body.

I turned away to give them a little privacy, trying to stop my lip from quivering.

Natalia promised to take good care of Lucie despite disapproving of Sharrol's choice. She even offered to let us hole up with her until we left, but Sharrol declined. I think it was more for my comfort than hers, especially since the woman wouldn't even acknowledge that I was with them.

Once we got our rations for the day, we headed straight to the sign-up office, applying through mouthfuls of bread until we were officially registered to join to 104th Trainee Squad.

I laid on my back and stared at the stars that night, listening to the quiet breathing of the Young sisters. I flexed my fingers in the lamplight, watching them move as I thought about the future. Was I doing the right thing? What would Macy think, or Mama for that matter?

My eyelids fluttered to a close, my hand falling to my side. It was too much to think about at the moment. All I wanted to do for now, was sleep. So I did.

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><p><strong>AN:** And so ends that! Sorry if it felt more like a filler than anything, but I swear the good stuff is coming up next chapter. Reunions, tears, and some blood are sure to be coming to a computer near you soon! So, stay tuned!

Please let me know your thoughts in a review or PM or something! While it'll only take a few minutes on your end, it really brings happiness to my life to see so many people care about what I do.

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed in the past and everyone that has favorited and followed this since I last updated! Welcome, all you Silent Watchers and Speakers alike!

Okay, I suppose that'll do for now.

Bye!


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